Libertarian Primary For Governor

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The Libertarian party will pick its candidate for governor at the party’s convention in Wichita on April 26.

About 150 registered Libertarians will choose between Keen Umbehr and Tresa McAlhaney. Because Libertarians are not considered a major party in Kansas, they are prohibited from picking their candidate by ballot in a primary election in August.

Some Libertarians say having a primary election like Democrats and Republicans would improve their candidate’s chances for a good showing during the general election in November.

The Kansas City Star reports that a political party in Kansas must get 5 percent of the vote in a governor’s race to be considered a major party. In 2010, the Libertarian candidate for governor got 2.6 percent of the vote.